Michael Vartan

Vartan in 2007, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Michael S. Vartan

Place of Birth: Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Date of Birth: November 27, 1968

Ethnicity:
*75% Ashkenazi Jewish
*12.5% Armenian
*12.5% Bulgarian

Michael Vartan is a French and American actor. He is known for his role on the television series Alias.

Michael was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, the son of Doris and Eddie Vartan, a music producer. He is bilingual, speaking English and French. His aunt, father’s sister, is singer Sylvie Vartan. Michael’s first cousin is French singer David Hallyday, who is the son of Sylvie and French singer and actor Johnny Hallyday. His stepfather is English writer Ian La Frenais.

Michael has said:

The funny thing is I’m actually a Polish Jew who happens to be born in France. My mom is Polish and my dad is Bulgarian. I don’t have an ounce of French blood. But I work it.

Michael’s father was born in Bulgaria. Michael’s paternal grandfather was of Armenian and Bulgarian ancestry, and Michael’s paternal grandmother was from a family of Hungarian Jewish ancestry. Michael’s mother is a Polish Jewish immigrant to the United States.

Michael’s paternal grandfather was Georges Robert Vartan (the son of Robert Vartan and Slava/Slavea Torloff). Georges was born in Champigneulles, France. Robert was of Armenian descent (his father was Hagop Vartanian, and the surname was shortened). Slava was Bulgarian.

Michael’s paternal grandmother was Ilona A. Mayer (the daughter of Rudolf/Rudolph Mayer and Roza Passlouchny). Ilona was of Hungarian Jewish background.

Michael’s maternal grandfather’s surname was Pucher.

Michael’s maternal grandmother was named Christel/Crystal Ruth Schulz. Christel was born in Hohenstein, East Prussia, possibly the town that is now Olsztynek, Poland. She re-married to an American after WWII.

Sources: Family histories of Michael’s father (in French) – http://www.guitaresetbatteries.com
http://www.armenews.com

Genealogy of Michael Vartan (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Michael’s father (through Sylvie Vartan) – http://genealogies-celebres.fr